Nahanni Description

The Nahanni is a canoe brought to you by Langford Canoe Company. Read Nahanni reviews or submit your own review to share with the paddling community. Check out a few other canoe recommendations below or explore all canoes to find the perfect one for you!

Langford Canoe Company
Nahanni Reviews

Read reviews for the Nahanni by Langford Canoe Company as submitted by your fellow paddlers. All of the reviews are created and written by paddlers like you, so be sure to submit your own review and be part of the community!

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5

My wife and I picked ours new…

Submitted by: paddler236155 on 3/12/2015
My wife and I picked ours new up at Langford in the fall of 2013. It is a very pretty boat Kevlar in two tone with gold pinstripe and cherry trim. The layup appears to be high quality and the boat is light and very stiff. Without a load the boat is very twitchy but an extremely quick and effort less paddle. It does take a bit to get used to but can really cover some ground when tripping loaded, cuts through waves and turns well. Experience is required this is not a boat for a novice.
5

I paddled a 16'5" kevlar…

Submitted by: MadKanu on 9/4/2014
I paddled a 16'5" kevlar Nahanni on a 45km paddle/portage trip through Algonquin and loved it. Feather light on portages, holds a great line on flat water and great handling in a few class I/II rapids we shot. I would highly recommend this boat as a tandem tripping canoe.
3

I'm no expert paddler, but…

Submitted by: guest-paddler on 7/19/2011
I'm no expert paddler, but not a complete novice either. We bought/got our Nahanni as a wedding gift. It's absolutely gorgeous with cherry/ash gunnels. I also love its weight (or lack of). I'm a big guy (6'7", 210#), but portaging this canoe is a breeze for anyone.

Unfortunately, we never felt completely comfortable with the canoe. It feels extremely tippy and we're always nervous with the kids in the boat. A friend of mine who is a hardcore WW paddler took it out for a spin on the Ottawa River and he too had a very tough time getting a handle on it. I tried soloing once and it was a nightmare. My wife, a more experienced paddler, fared only marginally better.

4

I paddled a Nahanni for about…

Submitted by: QMcCloughan on 9/14/2009
I paddled a Nahanni for about a week. The boat I used had all wood trim with a two tone paint job, and it was quite a head turner.
On the water the Nahanni is a rocket. Definitely faster then some tripping canoes a foot longer. It was also possible to turn it, although I would say tracking was this boats strong point. Paddled tandem, it's initial stability can make it feel tippy at first, but I found the feeling to be short lived. Take solace in the fact that you're probably not going for a swim, as it's secondary stability is very good. I was able to paddle (solo) with the gunnel skimming the water, And could easily dip it under the water and still pull back up.

Paddled solo, the Nahanni performed nicely. The canoe I was using had a kneeling thwart and pads, which were very comfortable. The boat retained the same characteristics as when paddled tandem, and with a little bit of a heel, becomes more maneuverable. It's not a pure sit and switch solo, so you do need to reach a bit on your stoke, and outside of leaning it way over, you won't get a perfectly vertical paddle. But you can't very well fit two people in a Prism, and as a combo tandem/solo flatwater boat the Nahanni seems like a strong option.

Rating: 9/10 - because my girlfriend says it's real pretty

5

The Nahanni is the best boat…

Submitted by: paddler231362 on 10/23/2005
The Nahanni is the best boat I've ever owned. It is a dream to solo, so stable you can literally drop the gunwhale right under the water without tipping. This boat has stood up to the abuse of the entire family, it's scratched, but otherwise completely in tact.

I also own a Swift Kipawa, but it seemingly gets very little use now. I would recommend the Langford boats for cottage, lake, river, & tripping. I also have an ABS Old Town Prospector with wooden gunwhales, a boat to abuse, 'cause the Nahanni is just so darn pretty.

3

I purchased a carbon fiber…

Submitted by: paddler230367 on 9/22/2003
I purchased a carbon fiber Prosperter two years ago. I love the way the boat flys and handles. But this summer a little mar in the gel coat turned into big chips of coating coming off, leaving the carbon fiber material exposed. I met another person coming off the water who had the exact same problem. And it happened in the stern so it wasn't from running the boat up onto shore which I am very careful not to do. It looks like the gel coat did not adhere to the material. I haven't attempted to get it repaired yet but I am concerned from what I hear about Langford's lack of service. The other person with the same problem met a stone wall from Langford and repaired it herself. I paid $3500 for the canoe, wanting to go top of the line and least weight!!! Also the thing with the false weight claims is true as I weighted mine when I got it home and it was about 5 or 6 lbs. over what they told me it would be. Any advice as to how to get them to repair it or replace it, I would love to hear from you.....
3

I bought my Nahanni in the…

Submitted by: guest-paddler on 12/31/2002
I bought my Nahanni in the Spring of 2002. It has ash gunwales with cherry trim on the inside with sliding bow seat. I rate the canoe 10 out of 10 for it's handling,manouverability and speed. It's basically a beautiful canoe to paddle. I 'm not too happy with the finish of the gunwales and the second time out I noticed a couple of cracks in the gel coat, when taken back to Langford they instigated it was my fault and were going to charge me to repair it. I finally got the job done with much hassle, but now have discolouration in those spots. I was not happy with Langford's service and would think hard before purchasing another canoe from them. Rating: 8 of 10 for the canoe not the service.
4

We purchased this boat in…

Submitted by: paddler228546 on 4/17/2000
We purchased this boat in standard kevlar layup. It's an asymmetrical hull with 3.5 inches of rocker bow and stern, ash/cherry trim, sliding bow seat and substantial outwalls for big water. We have a Mad River Freedom for ww up to Class III but the Nahanni is our choice for milder ww and expedition tripping. It will handle Class II with sufficient maneuverability and quickness and it has the quick acceleration and amazing tracking associated with boats of this hull design. It will handle 950 lbs and still have 6 inches of freeboard and it weighs 50 lbs. The only draw back is of course the price .... $2150 CDN in the Fall of 1999. But this boat is from Canada's oldest Canoe Company and they have an excellent reputation for quality. I would NOT hesitate to recommend this boat to anyone.